


Live On

by siq_art



Series: The cold can't numb you and it can't numb your feelings. [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Homebrew Planets, I don't know how Star Wars tech works and I refuse to do any research, Jedi Temples, Jedi Training (Star Wars), Kisurin fails at working through his trauma, Lightsaber Battles, There are Inquisitors but they're ambiguous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:54:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25103506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siq_art/pseuds/siq_art
Summary: Kisurin and his padawan Jacks go searching for the source of a Jedi distress signal in an abandoned temple and Kisurin must confront the past.
Series: The cold can't numb you and it can't numb your feelings. [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1818127





	Live On

**Author's Note:**

> I really don't know or care how space tech works. I don't know how space ships work. I don't know how space cell-phones work. You couldn't pay me to care. 
> 
> Kisurin is Zairusi, a homebrew race with three forehead horns, three horns on the bridge of his nose, and three horns on each shoulder. They live about 3x longer than humans and age about 3x more slowly. They’re also immune to cold. Jacks is Mirialan, Rod is a Twi'Lek, and Hohlan is a Togruta.

“Are you  _ sure _ this is the place, Kisur?” Rod asked, leaning on the headrest of Jacks' chair to get a better glance through the cockpit's window. His unease was palpable. Jacks would have felt it even if she hadn't spent the last month and a half honing her skills in the Force. The way his lekku twitched and the nervous fluttering of the breath Jacks felt stir her hair from behind gave him away. At least he had stopped pacing now that the  _ Javelin _ was out of hyperspace and the dense orange clouds of Viodgellan III were in view. Rod's restlessness set Jacks on edge. She knew he was right to be wary; she knew the likelihood that they were heading into a trap. A Jedi transmission coming from a Jedi temple was all too convenient, especially since it was well known among certain factions that the Empire had taken all Jedi starmaps at the end of the Clone Wars. She knew Rod knew that all that likely awaited them on the windswept beaches below was an Imperial base or elites waiting to apprehend anyone foolish enough to answer the call and she  _ certainly  _ knew that Rod, as the team's lead tactical advisor, was very nervous about the whole operation. However, she still hated the restlessness. It made it hard to set her mind at peace like Kisurin was trying to teach her.

Kisurin spoke, his voice weary. Jacks had noticed it was always weary when he thought of the past. His eyes scanned the circumference of the planet as he talked, placing his hand on Rod's back in reassurance.

“It is. Have faith, Rod. It hasn't been so long since I visited that I forgot on which planet to look.” Kisurin murmured, closing his eyes. The  _ Javelin _ moved closer as he took a moment of silent contemplation, drifting closer with only minimal thrust. Jacks knew he was consulting the Force. As the silence stretched on, Jacks felt Rod grip her headrest tighter, but when Kisurin's eyes opened again, she saw clarity in them, and determination. Rod must have as well, or maybe that was just the effect of Kisurin's hand rubbing soothing circles on his back, but she felt some of the tension leave him as Kisurin began to lead. He crossed the cockpit, leaning over Hohlan as he directed hir to their landing site.

“Thirty degrees to port.” he muttered, and as the  _ Javelin _ lurched in the turn Jacks wondered if his ability to sense the temple on this maze of a world was a blessing or a curse. A place that only drew in Jedi, hidden away in Viodgellan's sandy spires... That would make a perfect trap. A shiver ran through her.

The ship turned again, or rather rotated, as the towering sand pillars that reached into the sky came into view and Hohlan began evasive maneuvers, the light in hir eyes betraying excitement in hir otherwise calm visage. Jacks knew hir well enough to know ze lived for this sort of flying. She also knew Kisurin well enough to know he didn't. His face went pale as he gripped the armrest of Hohlan's chair.

“Jacks! Hit the kriffing stabilizers!” he yelped and Jacks and Rod both chuckled as she flipped a switch on the control panel in front of her, stabilizing the cockpit. Relief washed over Kisurin's body as, though Hohlan still piloted the ship with wild rolls and turns, he was able to stay steady. Jacks rolled her eyes, amused as always at his flight anxiety. She had heard stories from both Kisurin and Rod about amazing Jedi pilots back during the Clone Wars but she had her doubts about Kisurin having been among them. Sometimes Jacks liked to tease him, pretend the switch wasn't working, but she sensed everyone was too tense for that sort of trick today.

They reached the landing site without further incident, with Kisurin giving Hohlan directions and trying to hide his trembling. They didn't park at the temple gates. As remote as Viodgellan III was, both Rod and Hohlan insisted on not leaving the ship out in the open. Hohlan docked with one of the spires, bringing it down on a small outcropping just big enough to serve as a landing pad and as ze set the  _ Javelin _ down, unlike the ship, tension still hung in the air.

Rod was the first to break the silence. “Kisur...” he cleared his throat. “Why are we even here? Is Master Fen really worth the likely outcome of you getting found by bucket-heads? Or captured? Or...” He trailed off. Kisurin looked at him, the gravity of his gaze darkening his face as he understood the words unsaid.

“You know the difference one Jedi can make, old friend.” he murmured. “And I did not force you to come.” He straightened up, walking into the common area of the  _ Javelin.  _ “Hohlan, run a scan for any nearby tech.”

“Copy that, Kisurin.”

Jacks exchanged a look with Rod, who sighed heavily, following after Kisurin in a half-jog. Getting up from her seat, Jacks glanced at Hohlan, who was working at the controls. Ze lifted hir head for a moment, a gentle smile on hir patterned face as ze gestured for her to go after the two men.

When Jacks arrived in the common area, the men had the hologram-- the Jedi's transmission –already open, each silently picking apart every detail of the message. She took a seat across from them, joining in the silence, though she didn't gain anything else from reviewing the message. _ “I'm not sure if anyone is still out there...”  _ The hologram of Li Fen said.  _ “My allies are few. My supplies are low. I am trapped here and I have nothing to barter with but my life but...If you are hearing this, you are a friend of the Order and I... trust you. I ask your help, friend, and I ask that you make the right choice, if one can in these... these troubling times.” _ The Jedi Master continued. When she finished speaking there was a moment of static then her position reset at the beginning of the loop. Kisurin stared at it, rapt. After a few minutes, Hohlan joined the trio, sitting on the cushion next to Jacks and wrapping hir arm around her.

“Scan's clean, boys.” ze announced. “Only the low-level tech you'd expect a 15 year-old Jedi Temple to have, and all of that's either deactivated or inactive.” Jacks leaned against Hohlan, giving hir an appreciative smile.

It took a moment for Kisurin to answer. He seemed lost in thought, staring at the flickering hologram before him. When he looked up from it, he nodded. “Let's review the plan.”

Rod stood up, placing his hands on his hips. “Kisur and Jacks go to the temple alone. They find the Master and bring her to the rendezvous point. I watch the sky and roads for incoming hostiles, Hohlan watches the scanners and gets us ready for takeoff. You radio in if or when you find your Jedi and we swing the  _ Javelin _ around for pickup. If she's been stranded here, she may not be able to make the trek over here. Keep your comms open and if you see anything... out of place, radio in for a pickup. Got it?”

Jacks scoffed and stood up as well, stretching. “Yeah, Rod, I got it. The plan's not exactly Kyber science.” she said while Kisurin and Hohlan gave an answer of similar understanding, though in a more conventional tone. Kisurin scooped up his shoulder bag from its previous position slumped on the floor while Rod shot Jacks a stern glare. As she followed Kisurin to the door, she heard his voice from behind her.

“Oh, and Kisur,” Rod called. “You and I both know the reason I tag along is keep you out of trouble. Force knows Jacks isn't any help there!” He raised his voice to be heard over the hissing of hydraulics as the doors began to close. Jacks rolled her eyes, grumbling as her feet hit the damp sand of Viodgellan III's infamous beaches.

“I resent that statement.” she grouched and she heard a small chuckle from Kisurin beside her. Well, at least  _ someone _ was amused, Jacks supposed.

The walk to the temple was short but not easy. The tide was coming in, and though the ocean waters never rose past ankle height at this elevation, the added damp didn't help their journey. By the time the ground under their feet no longer squelched and gave with each step, the soles of Jacks' boots were soaked through and her socks were saturated. Kisurin paused to take off his right boot and wipe off his cybernetic foot.

“I thought that thing was waterproof...” Jacks mused, raising an eyebrow and Kisurin shrugged.

“Sure, but the salt is an abrasive and there's enough sand in that water to clog up my joints.” he replied, shoving a hand-towel back into his messenger bag and giving his toes an experimental wiggle before pulling his boot back over the limb. Jacks made a quiet noise of reply before turning to face the temple.

Its door was imposing. It stood a few dozen feet tall, driftwood carved in intricate symbols, inlaid in the face of a huge sandstone spire. The crest of the Jedi order gazed down at them from each panel and Jacks felt something besides awe stir in her. The Force was strong there.

She stepped forward, moving closer to it, pressing her hand against the smooth wood, unable to stop a grin from spreading across her face. So this was a Jedi temple? A real Jedi temple? She was taken with it already and she hadn't even been inside, which begged the question... How were they going to get inside? It wasn't like they had brought any explosives and there didn't seem to be any sort of hackable locking mechanisms she could spike. She supposed Kisurin could use his lightsaber on it but... that seemed profane, somehow. Like the very wood her fingers lay across shuddered at the thought of being marred that way, especially by a Jedi.

“So, uh...” Jacks spoke in an imitation of a casual tone, leaning against the giant doors. “How do we get these doors open,  _ Master Jedi? _ ” she asked and Kisurin snorted at her words.

“Oh, padawan, you already know the answer to that.”

“No I d--” Jacks started to protest but as the words left her mouth she realized what he meant. “Oh. Hmph, really?” she asked, though she only got the response of a raised eyebrow, to which she rolled her eyes. Sighing, she placed her palms flat on the doors, one on either panel. Her eyes closed and she felt the will of the temple, felt the will of the Jedi who had walked here before her. She reached out, guiding the Force from within her palms and pushing against the titanic slats of wood. They moved, opening in a slow reveal and the creaks the hinges made sounded approving, like Jacks had collaborated with the temple and now it regarded her as a friend, free to enter. She glanced at Kisurin, who clapped her on the shoulder as he walked past her into the temple and Jacks felt a spark of pride. Steps quickening to catch up, she followed him inside.

The inside of the temple was dark and spacious, with walls going up a few hundred or so feet until they met the rough ceiling, which contrasted the polished walls with the untouched natural shape of the sandstone. A long, winding staircase encircled the chamber all the way to the top and every fifty paces or so there was a new door, totaling what had to be a few dozen. It seemed the room had once held benches and statues but all that remained of those was splintered wood and crumbled stone across the floor. The lights gave off only a dim glow, barely allowing them to see in more than shades of gray. The rest of the power was completely off. Jacks couldn't help but feel the shiver of what had been lost as she passed through the door and as soon as she was clear of it, it snapped shut with a thud that reverberated through the empty chamber.

Her master's voice sounded from where he stood in the center of the chamber, head tilted upwards as he spoke in a distracted tone. “You'll notice it has handles from this side, if that will make your life easier.” he murmured and Jacks looked over her shoulder at the doors to see he was correct, though she hadn't a clue how those would help as the fact remained that handles or no, two several-dozen-foot-high slabs of wood would be too heavy for the average person to move. She turned back to Kisurin, who seemed deep in thought. After waiting a moment for him to emerge from it, Jacks spoke.

“So uh... do we know where Master Fen is? This place looks like a maze.”

“More of a wheel, really. All paths lead back here. It's hard to get lost but tedious to search.” Kisurin answered, then paused for a moment, his voice more substantial, as if he had decided to break whatever focus he had taken upon entering the temple. He turned to face Jacks.

“In fact, it might take days if we were to search every hall individually. Come, stand by me, feel for Master Fen within the Force. Tell me which way to go.” Kisurin's words were edged with amusement and Jacks cursed herself for her question. Of course he would turn this into a lesson. Well, that was what she had signed up for, she supposed. Probably better than searching each room, anyways.

She stood beside him, trying to reach out her senses, casting them against the many hallways, searching for someone to resonate with. The temple itself buzzed with the Force, energy trapped in its abandoned walls but Jacks sensed no one besides her and her master. Was she doing this wrong? It wasn't like she hadn't done this often... Maybe the temple was too unfamiliar or perhaps she wasn't trying hard enough. Jacks tried again, reaching into the Force hard enough to make herself stumble from the effort. Kisurin placed his hand on her arm to steady her and she cursed softly, eyes wide as worry twisted in her gut.

“Master... I sense no one but us.” Jacks mumbled. As much as her own lack of training was an annoyance to her, for once she took comfort in the possibility that she was making a mistake, that there was someone else with them and she just couldn't find them. It made sense, if Li Fen didn't want to be found by the darker powers at work in the galaxy. However, a glance at the expression on Kisurin's face told her that he sensed their solitude as well.

His hand left her shoulder and he began walking towards the entrance to the winding staircase. Anxiety rose in her and she ran after him, grabbing his wrist. “Kisurin, it has to be a trap.” she warned and he only nodded, pulling away as he began the climb. Jacks didn't know how to reply to that. She hesitated before following him, hoping he'd say more as they ascended the stairs.

Jacks counted them passing eighteen doors before they stopped. They were stories above ground level now, above the top edge of those doors that had seemed so imposing. The one in front of them was smaller, less awe-inspiring, but Jacks felt the unease that had been building inside her twist her stomach. “Master,” she whispered.

Kisurin gave her a long look. “Li Fen is not here but there is something beyond that door. I don't know what. Perhaps I am just tracing her last steps, leading myself to a corpse, but...” He paused, and though Jacks knew he had been wary throughout the mission, this was the first time Jacks had sensed true fear in him. Well, not counting his flight anxiety.

“Padawan, someone is using Master Fen's image to lure Jedi here and seeing as I cannot help her, I intend to help any other Jedi who would fall for this trap.” His words were steady, determined, strong and Jacks realized his fear was not for himself. She moved her hand to the blaster on her hip just to feel its comfort. “We are going to destroy the transmitter to ensure that we will be the last person this hologram fools.”

Jacks nodded. “Alright. I'll radio in, tell Hohlan and Rod what's up.” she announced, and Kisurin shook his head.

“It will be jammed.”

Jacks tried anyway. It was jammed. She wondered why Hohlan hadn't picked up the jammer in the scan. Maybe it jammed that too. If it had... there was no telling what sort of tech could be nearby.

The whine of door hinges snapped Jacks back to present realities and she moved behind Kisurin as he opened the door, drawing her blaster. She noticed his hand on his lightsaber, though he did not ignite it yet, despite the gloom of the hallway. It seemed the feeble glow of the main lights did nothing to penetrate the darkness within. Kisurin hesitated, teetering on the threshold before igniting his lightsaber and stepping inside. Jacks followed.

The blue glow lit the hall as they walked through it, reflecting off of the polished stone walls. The hum of Kisurin's lightsaber eased a bit of Jacks' nervousness, though Kisurin seemed more jumpy than before. She heard him muttering what sounded like floor plans to himself and supposed he was rambling to himself to try to calm his mind.

“One through five are gardens, six through fifteen are training chambers. The top twenty are the padawans' rooms, above the masters' quarters. Eighteen... Is it a meditation chamber? Kriff, it's been so long.”

The reached the end of the hall, finding themselves in front of another door. This one was lighter, and Kisurin reached out with his free hand to open it.

There was another room, not as big as the main chamber, but large enough that the light of Kisurin's saber did not reach the farthest wall. It was a softer room, the polished stone that made up the halls was absent here, as it seemed to be carved out of the sandstone of the spire itself. It was also cold, and raw, and the Force was strong with it. Jacks figured Kisurin's guess of meditation chamber hadn't been far off. It was like the one at the church back on Mirial: an empty room.

As she and her master stepped into the room, Jacks froze. She had no doubt this was where the transmission had been coming from; the Force was clear on that, having led them here, but she didn't hear the hum of electronics nor see the telltale glint of a monitor. Furthermore... In those back corners... Was that breathing?

She shouted out a warning of “Master!” as Kisurin raised his lightsaber to deflect a sudden streak of red in the dark. She saw the streak of red retreat to the corner which it then lit up, revealing a pale face as the lightsaber returned to its owners' hand. A man clad in black and gray stood on the other side of the room, clutching the weapon with a triumphant smirk on his face. He raised his other hand, flattening his palm as a small blue apparition appeared from the disc it held.

“ _ I do not know how they found  _ me.” A familiar voice came from the hologram. Li Fen stood hunched, clutching her side and breathing hard. “ _ The Empire, they know of this place. They know I'm here... They sent their fallen knights for me. Please, if you are hearing this, do not follow. Please, I am lost. The temple is lost. Do not let them-- _ ” The sound of a lightsaber came from the hologram and though the color was not preserved in the recording, Jacks had no doubt that the one illuminating that corner was the same one she just watched plunge through Master Li Fen's heart. She pulled the trigger of her blaster. A flash of red swiped across Jacks' vision and she jumped to evade the bolt that had just been deflected back at her, yelping in surprise. Two voices sounded at once, one fearful, the other mocking, as both Kisurin and the other man spoke the same words.

“Run.”

She did, turning and bolting through the hall as fast as she could, careful to come to a stop before her haste left her plummeting over the handrail of the staircase. Behind her, she heard Kisurin's footsteps, alongside the footsteps of their pursuer. The hum of the lightsabers stung her ears, but as long as she heard the sound of the two weapons clashing against each other, she was reassured that at least her master was still capable of fighting.

Once at the stairs, she began descending, moving as fast as her feet would allow her to without slipping. She had only ran a couple stories down the spiralling steps when a feeling washed over her and she stopped, overcome by the sensation of imminent danger. The Force guided her eyes and she looked straight across the chasm the chamber left to the other side. The sensation was strongest directly across from her and she lifted her head to observe where the staircase next met the wall. The door there was ajar. Without hesitation, she lifted her blaster and fired a shot, only to see it deflected by another flash of red. 

“Kisurin!” She called to her master, who was still engaged with the man from the meditation chamber, hoping he had noticed the second opponent.

“I saw!” he replied, gritting his teeth as he shielded against a barrage of blows. “Keep going! Get the others!”

Jacks bit back a protest. She wouldn't be any use here if her blaster bolts kept getting deflected, especially if the attackers decided to deflect them back at her. In fact, she sensed that the only reason she hadn't been hit when she shot at the hidden enemy was the fact that she had caught them off guard. She started running again.

The staircase shook as someone landed behind her and Jacks whipped around, blaster clutched in her shaking hands. A woman stood in front of her, grin dripping with malice, lightsaber pulsing with hate. She might have been human, but Jacks couldn't reliably tell as her appearance was... wrong, somehow. It almost radiated evil. The muscles in the woman's shoulders tightened and Jacks barely had time to react as she dodged the swipe of the saber. The woman kept coming though, in swift, sharp jabs that left Jacks teetering as she backed down the stairs, unable to take time between each dodge to regain her footing. She was only half a dozen feet from the ground level when the woman finally knocked her off balance, catching Jacks off guard with a Force Push that sent her flying over the guardrail and landing on the hard floor, sprawled out on her back. Her blaster clattered a few feet away. Jacks was too busy regaining the breath that had been knocked out of her to call it back to her.

The woman jumped from the stairs, rolling in the air and landing gracefully beside Jacks' blaster, which she took in her long, spindly fingers. Though Jacks' vision was still a bit hazy from the force of her fall, she saw the woman approach her, lightsaber outstretched and the dark-side man, sensing opportunity, jumped from the staircase as well, landing hard enough beside his accomplice to crack the stone floor, though it didn't faze him. Jacks scrambled backwards the best she could, desperation and panic clumsying her movements as the two red blades pointed at her throat. She closed her eyes, prepared to feel the searing heat of plasma in her windpipe.

She didn't. Instead, there was another thud as a third person jumped down and a flood of calm washed over her as her Master shielded her. Jacks blinked her eyes open and saw him standing in front of her, holding out his hands in facing each attacker, whose movements were jerky, almost stuck, as they fought against an invisible barrier and Jacks realized he was restraining them with the Force.

“Kisurin.” she breathed, relieved. He grunted in reply, shaking with the effort of holding his opponents at bay.

He spoke to her as she got to her feet, his voice low, strained. His words left Jacks reeling more than the fall had. “Take my lightsaber.” he hissed and Jacks shook her head, confusion and fear apparent.

“I... I... I can't. I've... I've barely ever held it before. I've never used it. You'll do better to keep it, Master, please.” she stammered. Kisurin growled, his feet slipping back an inch or so as he struggled to keep his grip on the two enemies.

His words came strained as he faltered for a moment and their foes surged forward, getting a half step closer before Kisurin managed to get control again. “ _Trust_ me, Padawan!” he gasped out, and Jacks did. She used the Force to pull his lightsaber from his hand, stepping in front of him and holding it in front of her to deflect the two blades that immediately descended upon her as her master fell to his knees, panting.

Jacks' movements were inexperienced and inelegant as she struck at each assailant, one after the other, never giving one enough time to get around her between blows, while their attacks were just as persistent and backed by what she had to guess was years of practice. She was focused entirely on the blades, focused on keeping herself alive and her master safe, though she was tiring with each swipe or parry. The combined light from all three sabers in such close contact let her see her foes' faces in terrifying detail. She saw the wild hatred in their eyes, the flashes of light dancing off the familiar metal insignias on their uniforms. So this was an Imperial plot...

Kisurin hadn't gotten to his feet yet, though out of the corner of her eye, Jacks saw him grab something from his bag. A blade fell and Jacks slipped out of the way at the last second, smelling burnt hair as the saber singed her bangs and she realized she didn't have time to watch him. It was getting harder and harder for her to fend them both off. She didn't even have time between each blow they dealt to do anything other than raise her Master's saber to deflect the next. Her chest heaved as her footing slipped for a second, almost causing her to collapse. She couldn't fight them both.

The sound of a lightsaber activating filled her ears, and another followed suit. A green light came from behind her and she rolled out of the way as both red blades went to meet it. Kisurin stood there, clutching twin lightsabers. The green blades only met red for a moment before Kisurin evaded backwards, sending a shock-wave from his fingers through the Force. Their attackers skidded back a few feet, tightening their grips on their blades.

Jacks jumped back into the fight, striking at the man as Kisurin advanced on the woman, his green blades slashing at her with a relentless energy, a conviction that Jacks had never seen in him before. His movements were invigorated and Jacks was finding it easier to fight as well, since she only had one opponent to worry about. As her eyes focused on her adversary's movements, she noticed a device on his wrist, a small electronic with a button flashing red and she realized it was his comlink that was jamming any other local transmissions, as well as sending out Master Fen's original message. She aimed for it with her attacks.

“Jacks!” Kisurin called. “Let's go! We don't have time to search for the transmitter. We need to leave.” He ordered and Jacks nodded, using the Force to jump far enough to put some space between her and their attackers. Kisurin did the same. As they ran to the doors, Kisurin, apparently not willing to deal with the handles either, yanked it open with the Force while Jacks called upon it as well, though her intent was to pull her blaster back to her hand. She grabbed it as it flew from the dark-side woman's belt and Jacks, praying to the Force for guidance, fired a single shot.

Kisurin turned to her as they ran, face disapproving. “What was that for? Your life is more important than a blaster. Let's go!” he repeated, scolding her, but Jacks just grinned and pressed the  _ on _ button of her comlink.

“This is Jacks to  _ Javelin _ , requesting immediate, urgent pickup.” She said and Hohlan replied with a speed that told Jacks ze had been waiting for the transmission.

“We're coming for you, Jacks.”

Recognition sparkled in Kisurin's eyes. “Oh,  _ alright _ . Clever.” he admitted once he had put together the pieces, though his attention was soon diverted to their pursuers, who had pushed open the door themselves. Jacks could feel the hate in their gazes burning into her and Kisurin, though she noted with some satisfaction that the man had switched his lightsaber to his other hand; the one which had previously held it was limp at his side, the tech on his wrist sparking and smoking.

He spoke, and he and his companion looked all the more menacing, the shadows the setting Viodgellan sun cast on their gaunt faces adding to their monstrous appearance.

“You have promise, Jedi.” He looked at Kisurin as he spoke. “And experience in this sort of combat. The Empire could use someone like you.” A smirk twisted his ashen lips and through their bond, Jacks felt Kisurin falter for a heartbeat. His breath caught and Jacks sensed regret, though his retort had the confidence Jacks had come to expect from him.

“Oh, I have no doubt they'd use me.” Kisurin snapped, shifting into a fighting stance, taunting him forwards. The tenseness of his body made Jacks uneasy and she dropped her posture into a defensive position as she raised her lightsaber again. Had the man struck a nerve?

The man's smirk deformed, his lip curling up into a snarl. His knees bent as he prepared to leap at them, apparently not liking the way Kisurin had talked back to him but before he could release the tension coiling in his legs and spring forth, a thick blanket of laser canon fire stopped him in his tracks. The  _ Javelin  _ pulled around behind Jacks and Kisurin, still opening suppressive fire as Jacks and Kisurin vaulted inside, only daring to breathe once the door had shut behind them.

Hohlan's voice called from the cockpit. “Better grab onto something, Kisurin! As soon as we clear the atmosphere I'm making the hyperspace jump.”

What little color remained in Kisurin's face drained as he made his way to the nearest seat and buckled himself in, legs trembling all the while. Jacks sat beside him, limbs and mind buzzing with the rush of adrenaline the fight had provided. As the ship twisted and turned, navigating through the spires, Kisurin looked like he might be sick. He squeezed his eyes closed as Hohlan counted down their jump. The ship lurched as it entered hyperspace, but smoothed out quickly. Jacks expected Kisurin to start to relax after that, but even when he opened his eyes again, he only stared at the floor in front of him, knuckles white as he gripped the edge of his tunic.

When he broke the silence, his voice was a hoarse whisper. “Give me my lightsaber back.”

Jacks did as he asked, holding it out to him as he slipped the other two into a compartment in his bag that Jacks hadn't before noticed. When he reached out for his own, his fingers wavered, an uncertainty in his movements that confounded Jacks, but he grabbed it and clipped it to his side once more. Jacks kept quiet for a bit longer before the curiosity became too much.

“So uh... where'd you get those other two?” she prodded, and though she tried her best to keep her voice gentle, as Kisurin still seemed pretty badly rattled, Jacks immediately felt emotion wash over her through their Force bond. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what she-- or, more accurately, Kisurin --was feeling, but she sensed grief, sorrow, and overwhelmingly, guilt. She started to stammer out an apology but Kisurin held up a hand to silence her.

“They were,” he breathed. “my last padawan's.”

Kisurin stood up after those words, slinging his bag over his shoulder and walking in the direction of his quarters, the drag of dejection in his step all but making up for the brisk speed he took. Jacks remained seated, silent as she processed his words, starting to piece together her master's behavior. In the hall, Rod nearly bumped into Kisurin on his way down from the turrets and instead of his usual friendly greeting, Kisurin merely mumbled  _ sorry _ before continuing his retreat. Jacks thought she saw tears on his cheeks.

Rod's tan lekku drooped in concern and Jacks met his eyes as he mouthed to her something to the effect of “Is he okay?”, to which Jacks could only shrug. Despite the regret she felt for asking the question that had stirred up so much emotion inside Kisurin, her worry for him prevailed and she decided to try to peek inside his mind a bit, just to check on him.  She closed her eyes, steadied her breathing, and focused on her Master's presence, and their shared bond, through the Force.

It didn't take long for it to surround her, the intensity of Kisurin's thoughts nearly knocking the breath out of her as wisps of his memories formed before her eyes. She saw a flash of brown skin with vivid gold markings, a confident grin lighting up dark eyes. She saw those green sabers held in hands other than Kisurin's, the hands that had built them in the first place, she knew, and below those hands she saw another set of arms, totaling four. She felt Kisurin's love, his joy, his pride in his padawan, and she felt it drain away, replaced with horror and despondency and once again guilt as he faded away. Through the vision, a name etched itself in her mind in a soft voice that seemed to brush the edges of her consciousness. It was her master's voice, though it was different than Jacks had ever heard, glowing in adoration.

“Hamlen.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Legitimately every name in here is made up because uh... I cannot be restrained. It's uh... ambiguous who the bastards with the red sabers are but they're some sort of Inquisitor or Inquisitor-adjacent people.


End file.
